Slidable visor assembly

ABSTRACT

A visor assembly includes a visor body, a support rod, and a slide mechanism coupled to the visor body that slidably engages the support rod. The slide mechanism includes a slide member having a plurality of extensions that are biased toward the support rod.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority from U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/873,790, filed Dec. 8, 2006, which is incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to the field of visors used invehicles, and more specifically, to a slidable visor assembly having aslide device or mechanism for permitting a visor to be slidablypositioned along a support structure, such as a support rod.

Visors for vehicles are generally known. Typically, visors may beadjusted between a variety of positions, for example, by rotating avisor between a “stowed” position and a “use” position. Visors mayfurther be adjustable laterally (e.g., in a sliding manner) along all ora portion of the length of a support feature. Conventional visorspresent challenges with respect to providing easy adjustments yetpreventing inadvertent or unintentional movements.

Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a visor assembly thatpermits a user to easily adjust the position of the visor along a lengthof a support structure. It would also be desirable to provide a visorassembly that resists unintentional or undesired movement of the visoralong a support structure once the visor is in a desired position.Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a visor assembly and/ora slide device or mechanism for a visor assembly having one or more ofthese advantageous features.

SUMMARY

One embodiment relates to a visor assembly comprising a visor body, asupport rod, and a slide mechanism coupled to the visor body thatslidably engages the support rod, wherein the slide mechanism comprisesa slide member having a plurality of extensions that are biased towardthe support rod.

Another embodiment relates to a visor assembly comprising a visor body,a support member, and a slide mechanism coupled to the visor bodyconfigured to permit the visor body to slide along at least a portion ofthe support member, wherein the slide mechanism comprises a biasingmember configured to bias at least a portion of the slide mechanismtoward the support member.

Yet another embodiment relates to a slide mechanism for a visorcomprising a slide member configured to slidably engage a support for avisor, and a housing configured to couple the slide member to a visor,wherein the slide member comprises at least one projection that isbiased toward the support by a biasing member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle according to an exemplaryembodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a visor assembly according to anexemplary embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a partial exploded view of a visor assembly according to anexemplary embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a portion of a visor assembly according to anexemplary embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a visor assembly takenalong line 5-5 of FIG. 4 according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of a visor assembly accordingto an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a portion of a visor assembly according to anexemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a vehicle 10 is shown according to an exemplaryembodiment and includes an interior 12. Vehicle 10 may be any of avariety of different types of vehicles, including automobiles,recreational vehicles, buses, airplanes, etc. According to an exemplaryembodiment, vehicle 10 is an automobile. As shown in FIG. 1, interior 12is provided with a visor assembly 14. Visor assembly 14 may be securedto an overhead portion of interior 12 of vehicle 10, or provided at anysuitable location within vehicle 10.

Referring to FIG. 2, visor assembly 14 is shown according to anexemplary embodiment. Visor assembly 14 includes a visor 16, a support18, and a slide mechanism 20. Support 18 has a mounting portion 23 thatpermits support 18 to be mounted to vehicle 10 (e.g., at an overheadlocation) and a support rod or member 24 that engages slide mechanism20. Slide mechanism 20 is provided within visor 16 and permits visor 16to slide along at least a portion of the length of support rod 24 in thedirection represented by arrow 25.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a portion of visor assembly 14 is shown ingreater detail according to an exemplary embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3,slide mechanism 20 may include a bushing or slide member 22, a biasingmember or spring 26, a detent spring 28, and a carrier or housing 30.Slide member 22 is configured to slidably receive support rod 24.According to an exemplary embodiment, slide member 22 includes an inneraperture 32 within which support rod 24 may slide. As best shown in FIG.5, an inner flat portion 34 (a keyed portion, etc.) defines at least aportion of aperture 32 and is configured to interface with acorresponding flat or keyed portion 36 on support rod 24. As shown inFIG. 6, support rod 24 may have a generally circular cross-sectionexcept for flat portion 36. Flat portion 36 is intended to preventrotation of support rod 24 within and with respect to slide member 22,such that support rod 24 slidably engages the interior of slide member22, but does not rotate with respect to slide member 22 (i.e., slidemember 22 and support rod 24 may be rotationally fixed with respect torotational movement about the longitudinal axis of support rod 24).

While support rod 24 is shown having a generally circular cross-section(except for flat portion 36), any suitable cross-sectional shape (e.g.,square, rectangular, splined, etc.) may be used. Further, support rod 24may be made of any suitable material (e.g., plastic, metal, etc.) and beof any length that provides the desired sliding adjustability for visorassembly 14. According to an exemplary embodiment, support rod 24 may bemade from a chrome material.

Slide member 22 permits rotation of visor 16 (and detent spring 28)about support rod 24. Detent spring 28 is housed within housing 30,which is in turn mounted to a visor core 27. Visor core 27 may be madein any suitable or conventional way, for example, from a two-piece“butterfly” type core section wrapped in a fabric. According to variousother exemplary embodiments, other types of visor bodies mayalternatively be used. In use, a vehicle occupant may grasp visorassembly 14 and rotate it about support rod 24 between a stowed positionand a number of use positions. As visor assembly 14 is rotated, detentspring 28 and housing 30 also rotate about support rod 24 and slidemember 22 (which are rotationally fixed relative to each other). Asdiscussed in greater detail below, detent spring 28 acts to rotate visorassembly 14 to the stowed position once visor assembly 14 is moved to apredetermined angular position relative to the stowed position.

Slide member 22 may have a generally cylindrical exterior and mayinclude an exterior flat 39 (see FIG. 5) that extends along all or apart of the exterior surface of slide member 22. Flat 39 of slide member22 is configured to coact with detent spring 28, for example, to actuatevisor assembly 14 into the “stowed” position upon the visor reaching acertain position. According to one embodiment visor 16 and detent spring28 rotate about slide member 22 and support rod 24, which remainrotationally fixed relative to each other.

According to an exemplary embodiment, slide member 22 includes one ormore longitudinally-extending projections, or fingers 38, that extendfrom one or both ends of slide member 22 and at least partially conformto the exterior of support rod 24. Projections 38 may be resilientlydesigned such that they may be biased (bent, formed, etc.) in adirection normal to the exterior surface of support rod 24. At least aportion of the interior surfaces of projections 38 may contact the outersurface of support rod 24, thereby generating a frictional force betweensupport rod 24 and slide member 22 that resists relative sliding motionbetween the two components during use of the visor. According to anexemplary embodiment, projections 38 are configured such that theyprovide a normal force on the exterior of support rod 24 without theneed for additional springs or other biasing devices (such as spring26). For example, projections 38 may be directed inward toward thelongitudinal axis of slide member 22, such that projections 38 must bedeflected outward in order for support rod 24 to be slid into theinterior of slide member 22. The resiliency of projections 38 creates abias force against the exterior surface of support rod 24, therebyproviding the appropriate amount of frictional resistance and “feel” forthe sliding action of visor assembly 14.

According to an exemplary embodiment, slide mechanism 20 also includesspring 26, shown as a coil spring. Spring 26 may be mounted in a recess44 provided on projections 38 of slide member 22. According to otherexemplary embodiments, the thickness of the wire that makes up thespring may be increased/decreased, or thickness of projections 38 may beincreased/decreased, to increase or decrease the frictional force.Alternatively, spring 26 may be secured to projections 38 using anysuitable method. Spring 26 may be sized such that it provides anappropriate bias force upon projections 38 toward support rod 24. Thenormal force of projections 38 upon support rod 24 generated by spring26 may be adjusted by varying the configuration of spring 26, e.g., thenumber of coils in spring 26. In this manner, the frictional forcebetween projections 38 and support rod 24 (being a function of thenormal force exerted by projections 38 on support rod 24) may likewisebe adjusted, or “dialed in,” for example, by increasing or decreasingthe number of coils in spring 26, thereby allowing visor assembly 14 tohave the proper “feel” when being adjusted along the length of supportrod 24. According to an exemplary embodiment, rather than increasing ordecreasing the number of coils in spring 26, the spring force may beadjusted by increasing or decreasing the diameter of spring 26,providing an alternative way to adjust the frictional force betweensupport rod 24 and slide member 22. According to other exemplaryembodiments, the frictional force may also be adjusted byincreasing/decreasing the diameter of the spring wire or the thicknessof projections 38. Spring 26 may be made of any suitable material and byany conventional process. While the various exemplary embodimentsillustrated herein are shown with a coil spring, any other suitablespring type or form may be used that provides the appropriate bias forceupon projections 38 toward support rod 24.

As shown in the FIGURES, slide member 22 may have projections 38 andspring 26 located at one end. According to various alternativeembodiments, projections 38 and or spring 26 may be provided at bothends, or at intermediate locations along the length of, slide member 22.Further, spring 26 may be made of any suitable material, and theconfiguration of spring 26 and projections 38 may be adjusted to suitvarious cross-sectional shapes, thicknesses, contours, etc. of slidemember 22 and support rod 24.

According to an exemplary embodiment, slide member 22 may have aone-piece body portion 46, made of any suitable material (e.g., metal,plastic, etc.). According to one exemplary embodiment, body portion 46is made of an acetal or other polymer material such as CELCON®.According to another exemplary embodiment, shown in FIG. 6, slide member22 may have a two-piece body, consisting of a first or an inner piece 42and a second or outer piece 40. Second piece 40 may be made of amaterial suitable to slidably engage support rod 24 (e.g., an acetalmaterial), and first piece 42 may be made of a material suitable torotatably engage detent spring 28 (e.g., steel, etc.). First and secondpieces 42, 40 may be joined together using any suitable process,including injection molding, co-molding, insert-molding, or using avariety of other techniques (e.g., press-fit, snap fit, etc.) or devices(adhesives, mechanical fasteners, etc.). According to an exemplaryembodiment, second 40 piece is made of an acetal or other polymermaterial such as CELCON®, and first piece 42 is made of a suitable metalmaterial such as steel. Second piece 40 may be injection-molded aroundportions of first piece 42. Other materials suitable for the intendedapplications may alternatively be used, and slide member 22 may be madeup of more or fewer components than described herein, with thecomponents being joined using any materials or methods described hereinor any other suitable means.

Referring to FIG. 5, slide member 22 is positioned within detent spring28 such that detent spring 28 (and in turn visor 16) rotates (i.e.,“self-actuates”) into a stowed position once the exterior flat 39 ofslide member 22 is rotated into a predetermined position (e.g., relativeto the stowed position). According to an exemplary embodiment, a drylubricant such as a dry lube grease (e.g., teflon, etc.) may be appliedto detent spring 28 to reduce the frictional interface between detentspring 28 and slide member 22. According to one embodiment of theinvention, detent spring 28 is fixed relative to visor 16. Detent spring28 then rotates, but does not move along the longitudinal axis of, slidemember 22, and slide member 22 may slide relative to support rod 24. Asshown in FIG. 3, support rod 24 may include a deformed portion 37 (e.g.,an enlarged, shaped, or otherwise configured portion) that preventsslide member 22 from sliding beyond the end of support rod 24.

According to an exemplary embodiment, shown in FIG. 7, detent spring 28may include a tab or hook 50 and a corresponding extension 52 (e.g.,projection, lip, etc.) configured such that detent spring 28 may beplaced around slide member 22 and/or secured in place by positioning(e.g., snapping, pressing, etc.) tab 50 over extension 52 (see, e.g.,FIG. 5). Tab 50 and extension 52 may be of any size and/or shape thatprovides a secure fit, and may be positioned at various locations ondetent spring 28. According to another embodiment, tab 50 and extension52 of detent spring 28 are positioned such that detent spring 28 isfitted around at least a portion of housing 30 or visor 16 prior tobeing secured. Other means of securing detent spring 28 relative toslide member 22 may alternatively be used.

Referring to FIG. 4, housing 30 may support or mount slide member 22and/or detent spring 28 within visor 16, and may include one or moresupports, or cradles 54, that facilitate the rotation of detent spring28 and visor 16 about slide member 22 and support rod 24. According tovarious alternative embodiments, the profiles of cradles 54 may beadjusted accordingly to provide the proper support for slide member 22and/or support rod 24 and to accommodate various sizes of slide membersand/or support rods. As shown in FIG. 3, detent spring 28 may also havetwo extended portions 56 that engage housing 30 and transfer any detentspring forces to visor 16. Extended portions 56 may also be used tosecure detent spring 28 to housing 30. Housing 30 may be mounted to theinterior of visor 16 via any suitable means (e.g., injection molding,thermoforming, adhesives, mechanical fasteners, etc.). According to anexemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, housing 30 includes one ormore extensions 60 (tabs, etc.) that engage apertures 58 provided invisor core 27.

According to various exemplary embodiments, housing 30 may be providedin any suitable size and or shape to accommodate the components of theslide mechanism, and may be made from a variety of materials (e.g.,plastic, metal, etc.). Further, according to an alternative embodiment,housing 30 may be integrally formed with the core material of the visor(e.g., injection molded, insert molded, etc.) rather than secured as aseparate component. According to an exemplary embodiment, housing 30includes a first member, or rib, 62, that is hot-plate-melted orotherwise secured to a corresponding second member, or rib, 64, on visorcore 27, during assembly of the visor. Furthermore, according to any ofthese or other exemplary embodiments, other components may be includedin the visor assembly and/or slide mechanism to suit other desiredapplications.

The construction and arrangement of the elements of the slidable visorassembly and slide mechanism and the methods for making the visorassembly and slide mechanism as shown in the exemplary embodiments areillustrative only. Although only a few embodiments of the presentinvention have been described in detail in this disclosure, thoseskilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciatethat many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes,dimensions, structures, shapes, and proportions of the various elements,values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors,orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novelteachings and advantages of the subject matter recited herein. Forexample, elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed ofmultiple parts or elements, the position of elements may be reversed orotherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements orpositions may be altered or varied.

It should be noted that the elements and/or assemblies of the slidablevisor assembly may be constructed from any of a wide variety ofmaterials that provide sufficient strength or durability, including anyof a wide variety of moldable plastic materials (such as high-impactplastic), or foams, polymers, etc. and in any of a wide variety ofcolors, textures, and combinations. The shape and size of the variouscomponents may be varied to improve the appearance, formability, andassembly of the visor assembly. Other substitutions, modifications,changes, and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions,and arrangement of the exemplary embodiments without departing from thescope of the present inventions.

1. A visor assembly comprising: a visor body; a support rod; and a slidemechanism coupled to the visor body that slidably engages the supportrod; wherein the slide mechanism comprises a slide member having aplurality of extensions that are biased toward the support rod.
 2. Thevisor assembly of claim 1 wherein the slide mechanism further comprisesa biasing member that biases the extensions toward the support rod. 3.The visor assembly of claim 2 wherein the biasing member is a coilspring that is arranged over at least a portion of the plurality ofextensions.
 4. The visor assembly of claim 1 wherein the slide membercomprises a keyed portion configured to prevent relative rotationbetween the slide member and the support rod.
 5. The visor assembly ofclaim 4 wherein the slide member comprises a generally cylindricalportion and the keyed portion is provided on an interior portion of thecylindrical portion.
 6. The visor assembly of claim 1 further comprisinga detent spring coupled to the slide member and configured to rotate thevisor body to a stowed position.
 7. The visor assembly of claim 6wherein the slide member comprises a metal portion configured to engagethe detent spring and a plastic portion configured to engage the supportrod.
 8. The visor assembly of claim 6 further comprising a housingconfigured to couple the slide member and the detent spring to the visorbody.
 9. The visor assembly of claim 1 wherein the slide mechanism isremoveably coupled to the visor body.
 10. A visor assembly comprising: avisor body; a support member; and a slide mechanism coupled to the visorbody configured to permit the visor body to slide along at least aportion of the support member; wherein the slide mechanism comprises abiasing member configured to bias at least a portion of the slidemechanism toward the support member.
 11. The visor assembly of claim 10wherein the biasing member is a coil spring.
 12. The visor assembly ofclaim 11 wherein the support member comprises a support rod and theslide mechanism comprises a slide member configured to slide along atleast a portion of a length of the support rod.
 13. The visor assemblyof claim 12 wherein the slide member comprises a plurality of extensionsextending therefrom, and the coil spring biases the extensions towardthe support rod.
 14. The visor assembly of claim 13 wherein the slidemember is keyed relative to the support rod to prevent rotation of theslide member relative to the support rod.
 15. The visor assembly ofclaim 12 wherein the slide mechanism further comprises a detent springconfigured to rotate the visor toward a stowed position.
 16. The visorassembly of claim 15 further comprising a housing that couples the slidemechanism to the visor body.
 17. A slide mechanism for a visorcomprising: a slide member configured to slidably engage a support for avisor; and a housing configured to couple the slide member to a visor;wherein the slide member comprises at least one projection that isbiased toward the support by a biasing member.
 18. The slide mechanismof claim 17 wherein the at least one projection comprises a plurality ofprojections and the biasing member is a coil spring.
 19. The slidemechanism of claim 17 wherein the slide member comprises a keyed portionconfigured to prevent rotation of the slide member relative to thesupport.
 20. The slide mechanism of claim 17 wherein the slide membercomprises a generally cylindrical portion having opposing ends, and theat least one projection extends from at least one of the opposing ends.